'Tiger parenting' linked to depression, poor social skills

BERKELEY, Calif., June 22 (UPI) -- Children raised by authoritarian parents -- described in the book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" -- are showing poorer mental health, U.S. researchers say.

"Children raised by authoritarian parents are showing maladaptive outcomes, such as depression, anxiety and poor social skills," Qing Zhou, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement.

Long before Amy Chua's 2011 memoir raised the bar for tough-love parenting, UC Berkeley developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind coined the terms, "authoritarian," "permissive" and "authoritative" parenting in the 1960s. These constructs are still widely used in social science:

Zhou said research showed authoritarian parenting, which can include tough academic pressure, can lead to poor mental health outcomes for children and teenagers, such as depression, anxiety and poor social skills.

Most recently, Zhou's research team ran an 11-week parenting class at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University for divorced Asian-American mothers, many of whom are Chinese immigrants raised in the authoritarian tradition.

"When they first came to the workshops, a lot of them would say, 'Why should I praise my child for doing something they are supposed to do?' But we encouraged them to try and they saw positive changes in their relationships," Zhou said.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.